Just wondering what are the longest and shortest hunts you've had with gobblers from the time you make your first call at the set up to trigger time.
This year I had my shortest and longest hunts.
My first bird I heard a gobble about 400 yards away. Closed the distance and did 3 yelps and struck a single gobble at about 80 yards. I set up and check the phone. 6:45. I do a few excited cuts and 4 birds answer. 6:48 I was standing on the birds head. So 3 minutes from first call to trigger time.
My second bird I made my first call some where around 5:00. Played with calling in his hen and such, layed low with not too much calling. I had to double back and switch locations on him. Trigger time was right around 6:40. I just looked at my phone and the first picture was 6:42. So that hunt was an hour and 40 minutes.
It felt like 3 hours, with the adrenaline going. I am a fan of these kinds of hunts where you have to use your head, and really play the chess game. THe short ones are fun and I feel the adrenaline is a bit more intense, but not as everlasting as those marathon hunts.
Just wondering what everyone elses shortest and longest are. Just kind of want to put the nail in the coffin and drive home that your season can change in a second.
_________________________
A few years ago I worked a bird for an hour before I was able to shoot him. One time I made it my spot and called once, had a nice Tom pitch down and when he hit the ground I shot him. Total time 30 sec. I was in and out of the woods within a half hour.
Last year i set up on a bird probably 100-150 yards or so from his roost and he flew down and walked right in to me. I didn't even have to call. He was dead before 6. From flydown to the shot was probably under 5 minutes.
And this year i was working a bird and was waiting him out for 4 hours. I couldn't feel my entire body lol very painful. He came into range 3 different times but couldnt get a shot. He was just walking back and forth strutting, spitten and drumming. I ended up missing him at about 10:00. I was on him from the roost but ended up making a move on him once and was at my final set at around 545-6. I don't like to make excuses I shoulda made the shot but 4 hours straight of not being able to move... Not fun lol
shortest was about 5 minutes. Longest was 5 hours.
I have shot a bird within 2 minutes of him hitting the ground. My longest was probably close to 6 hours. We were hunting public land that bordered a private farm. We setup there at first light and watched the birds from a distance in the private field for hours. They were with hens and didn't want to leave them for anything. Finally, at about 11:30, the one tom who had been out there all morning decided to come check us out with his hen in tow. He crossed the seasonal use road into the private land and right to my gun barrel. It was about an 11 yard shot.
With the morning temperature around 20+ degrees, I decided to drink another cup of coffee before heading to the turkey woods. I got to my hunting spot around 8 a.m. only to see another truck parked near where I'd planned to go. So...I picked another spot a ways down the road, parked, and walked to a large oak I'd hunted from before. Upon arrival, I set out my two decoys and had just leaned against the tree, still lacking my camo face mask, gloves, and had made no calls when a hen came running by at 30 yards followed by a gobbler. While the tom was still on a dead run, I downed him with a load of #5s. Come to find out, the guy in the other truck had bumped them as he slipped through the woods. Sometimes it's better to be lucky than good!
My longest hunt would be the 10 months I have to wait for the gobbler I couldn't coax in from the previous season.
I've killed them 5 minutes after I sat down and I've worked the same bird for 3 hours. I once sat down and made a call no with response, only to wait 5 minutes and have 3 gobblers walk over the hill 30 yards away. I was kinda surprised, but only two left the scene by their own.
Depends on shortest definition
Called one in for a buddy back in high school that was less than 5 minutes from the time they flew down till be shot one.
This year on an afternoon hunt it was 12 minutes from my first call till 3 longbeards showed up.
Back in 05 I sat for 7 hours because I knew the birds would be back there that night and the only way to get on them due to terrain and property lines was to get in well ahead of them and wait.
10 minutes
4 hours if you are talking about hunting and working one bird. I usually hunt all day long or until I tag out for the day as we can kill 2 a day.
Have had quite a few 15-30 minute hunts.
Sent from the Strut Zone
Hard to time in from my first call, since I don't know if they have heard me or were paying attention. Shortest to bagging a bird from the first sure answering gobble, around 5 minutes, on a run and gun. Shortest time to getting busted, about 20 seconds. Rookie mistake, calling when I wasn't in a good setup. Longest from first answering gobble to pulling the trigger, 2 1/2 hours.
I passed on a bird one year because I didn't want to end my season 1 minute into it. Bird flew down and ran right to me one minute into legal shooting hours.
I passed him and up went to another area. I was walking along the side of the road and stepped on some dry leaves that crunched under foot. A bird gobbled from the creek bottom 100 yards off. I shot him about 2 minutes later. It was still only 7:30am. :icon_thumright:
Had a 15 minute hunt this year. And my longest took 4 hours
The longest part of my LA hunt this year was waiting for the sun to come up. He hit the ground and walked to 25 yards in less than 5 minutes. I have had several hunts that were less than 15 minutes from the first time I saw or heard him.
I also have worked them for multiple hours to seal the deal.
Quote from: eddie234 on May 29, 2015, 09:17:43 AM
A few years ago I worked a bird for an hour before I was able to shoot him. One time I made it my spot and called once, had a nice Tom pitch down and when he hit the ground I shot him. Total time 30 sec. I was in and out of the woods within a half hour.
That's awesome. Cocktail time! :happy0064:
For me the shortst was 5-mins and the longest about 2.5 hours. I wouldn't have them any other way. :OGani:
My shortest was one I called in for my brother. Set up before daylight, made a couple soft yelps at daylight, he flew down and ran to the decoys. The longest was a bird that beat me three mornings in a row. The fourth morning, which was the last day of the season, I set up, before daylight, where I knew he would eventually end up. He answered me sparingly all morning, but finally ended up in the pasture I was set up on at 11:40 am. about 2oo yards out. I hit him with fighting purrs on my mouth call and slate and he came running. Shot him at 11:45am and the season ended at noon. One of my best birds to date.
Well I had a bird that wasn't on the ground for more than 3 seconds after fly down but I sat there under him for 45min. My quickest call in was probably roughly 2min from first gobble to flopping. I didn't have any long stand offs this year that resulted in dead birds just stories of the boss that got away. In the past I can remember a few birds that took several hours of working to kill.
Had them in the decoys 15 mins before shooting time, full strut, drumming, maybe 10 feet away, waited until legal shoot time, so maybe 15 mins + 3-4 seconds?
I had a 5 min hunt in Nebraska one year...sat down at 5 pm...made one call...bird ran up from a creek bottom gobbling...flopping at 5:05 pm...boiling hot that day, birds feet were white from standing in the water...
These great birds never cease to amaze me, it was basically dark when they pitched out...
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Shortest was about 15 seconds. I called he gobbled and popped up over a small rise about 20 yds away. Longest would be about 5 hours and 13 set up's. My son was with me and we still call that bird the marathon bird, and the marathon bird spot.
5 minutes to 5 hours and everything in between.
Like most everbody else I have shot them with in minutes of setting up. The longest was this year....never did kill a bird.
I shot one this year before I had even made my first call. Got setup about 10 minutes before flydown between two gobblers. The one that was behind me across the creek was the one I figured I didn't have a very good chance at, until he flew out of the tree, across the creek and landed 30 yards from me literally right down my gun barrel. I was almost in shock. Dropped him right there. So I'd say that was my shortest hunt.
I am not sure about my longest. I've setup blind before and killed birds after 4 or 5 hours, but my longest working one single bird to range was probably one I killed a couple years ago. Worked 3 henned up toms for over 2 hours when they finally broke from the hens and walked right in to me.
I've had several hunts where I snuck in on gobbling, and set up near the roost. Gobblers pitched right off of the limb and strutted in to their doom. Those hunts lasted 2 to 5 minutes after they pitched off the roost.
My longest successful hunt was in Ohio. Got on a gobbler following a hen shortly after flydown, followed him and worked him all morning long. Watched him breed a hen, "take care of his own business", and run off 2 other gobblers. Finally put out a strutting jake deke, and kept gobbling at him until he dropped out of strut and marched up hill to whip that jake's butt. Instead, he got a face full of #4's!! :fud: I shot him at 11:40, after finding him shortly after sunrise. Ohio's hunts end at noon every day. That was cutting it close!! :o
Quote from: bowmike on May 29, 2015, 09:09:31 AM
Just wondering what are the longest and shortest hunts you've had with gobblers from the time you make your first call at the set up to trigger time.
This year I had my shortest and longest hunts.
My first bird I heard a gobble about 400 yards away. Closed the distance and did 3 yelps and struck a single gobble at about 80 yards. I set up and check the phone. 6:45. I do a few excited cuts and 4 birds answer. 6:48 I was standing on the birds head. So 3 minutes from first call to trigger time.
My second bird I made my first call some where around 5:00. Played with calling in his hen and such, layed low with not too much calling. I had to double back and switch locations on him. Trigger time was right around 6:40. I just looked at my phone and the first picture was 6:42. So that hunt was an hour and 40 minutes.
It felt like 3 hours, with the adrenaline going. I am a fan of these kinds of hunts where you have to use your head, and really play the chess game. THe short ones are fun and I feel the adrenaline is a bit more intense, but not as everlasting as those marathon hunts.
Just wondering what everyone elses shortest and longest are. Just kind of want to put the nail in the coffin and drive home that your season can change in a second.
_________________________
Several years ago one started gobbling when it was still dark, it was after 12 before I killed him.
Last year I got on one about 6. I missed him at 2:30
My shortest, 7 mins. Longest, 5 hrs.
Shortest, when we walked in he gobbled maybe 200 yds. away. Seven minutes later he was floppin'
Longest, was a long and protracted battle of wills. After 5 hrs. (probably 4 of it he was in sight) he finally closed enough for a shot. I saw he was limping. Turns out he had an injury to his leg joint. Must have been excruciating to walk. He stood and stood. Started to leave a few times. I was able to keep him interested, calling, then being quiet, then gobbling and cackling...That one was hard won!
Shortest 35 seconds longest around 6 or 7 hours.
Quote from: Onpoint on May 30, 2015, 01:48:36 PM
Quote from: bowmike on May 29, 2015, 09:09:31 AM
Just wondering what are the longest and shortest hunts you've had with gobblers from the time you make your first call at the set up to trigger time.
This year I had my shortest and longest hunts.
My first bird I heard a gobble about 400 yards away. Closed the distance and did 3 yelps and struck a single gobble at about 80 yards. I set up and check the phone. 6:45. I do a few excited cuts and 4 birds answer. 6:48 I was standing on the birds head. So 3 minutes from first call to trigger time.
My second bird I made my first call some where around 5:00. Played with calling in his hen and such, layed low with not too much calling. I had to double back and switch locations on him. Trigger time was right around 6:40. I just looked at my phone and the first picture was 6:42. So that hunt was an hour and 40 minutes.
It felt like 3 hours, with the adrenaline going. I am a fan of these kinds of hunts where you have to use your head, and really play the chess game. THe short ones are fun and I feel the adrenaline is a bit more intense, but not as everlasting as those marathon hunts.
Just wondering what everyone elses shortest and longest are. Just kind of want to put the nail in the coffin and drive home that your season can change in a second.
_________________________
Several years ago one started gobbling when it was still dark, it was after 12 before I killed him.
Last year I got on one about 6. I missed him at 2:30
Forgot to mention shortest. I've had a few that were just a couple minutes. Probably 2 right at a minute and one probably a little less than a minute
One year I pulled up to my hunting spot and heard a tom gobbling his head off while I was still in the car. I walked up to my favorite spot, a natural blind in a blowdown. I got situated and then yelped once. This tom ran 150 yards down the hill as fast as his legs would carry him. I gave a tiny yelp once he was 30 yards away just to make him stop moving. He did and was down seconds later. The whole thing from first yelp took no more than a couple of minutes.
I'm not sure about the longest, but I had one I could hear drumming for hours. He wasn't far away, but I couldn't get him to come out of the thick brush that was between us. After a long morning and into the afternoon, I heard him drumming even closer - behind me! I couldn't believe he'd snuck past me. Then I realized it was a different tom who'd heard all the noise and decided to take advantage of the lonely hen. I wasn't going to quibble, so I shot the newcomer. AKAIK, the first tom is still there.